Acupuncture in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Published: February 10, 2020
Acupuncture is one of the oldest therapies of traditional Chinese medicine, dating back more than 3,000 years. In the Western world, specifically in the United States, acupuncture drew attention starting in the 1970s after The New York Times described that James Reston, press secretary for Richard Nixon underwent an appendectomy when traveling to China and successfully managed post-surgical pain with the help of acupuncture. In 1990, acupuncture was approved in the U.S. as a medical therapy for pain management and in 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recommendation that doctors should be aware of acupuncture as potential management tools for pain that may help avoid opioid prescriptions and prevent opioid dependence…
Increased intestinal sensitivity leading to abdominal pain and diarrhea, as well as delayed bowel movement (gastrointestinal dysmotility) are common among IBD patients. Some studies evaluated stimulation of specific acupoints and reported that these symptoms can be improved by acupuncture. Through both clinical trials and analysis of the published literature, moxibustion was found beneficial for improvement of abdominal pain and diarrhea in patients with intestinal sensitivity.
Research is ongoing to assess the benefits of acupuncture beyond pain management. Some studies relevant to IBD reported that acupuncture and moxibustion improved GI symptoms, including: abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, and nausea, as well as alleviating s inflammation…